For it (the kingdom of heaven) is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 

                                                                                                                   Matthew 25:14 

Perhaps the best biblical example that we have of faithfulness comes in one of Jesus’ parables. In this story a man entrusts his possessions to three servants. Upon his return, the man examines the faithfulness of each servant and rewards them accordingly. Jesus uses this parable as a way of describing what the kingdom of heaven is like. Careful examination of this parable will serve us well as we take into consideration faithfulness and how it is rewarded.

The truth is that each one of us has been given a certain measure of entrusted possessions. None of what we have in this life actually belongs to us rather it all belongs to the One who has entrusted it to us. It is our job to take what has been given to us and to be faithful with such. Consider each portion of the parable: 

To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.                                                                                                           

                                                                                                            Matthew 25:15-18 

Notice that each person was given a different measure or portion. The issue in this parable is not the amount of possessions entrusted to each servant rather the focus is on how each individual used what was given to them. Consider the master’s response to each servant: 

Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 

                                                                                                            Matthew 25:19-21 

“Well done, good and faithful servant.” This should be the goal of every believer, to hear our Savior speak those words to us at the end of our earthly lives. In addition to that, because of the faithfulness of that servant, he was given more. And in addition to that, he was invited to receive the joy that comes from a lifetime of faithful service and obedience to God. The same response was given to the second servant: 

Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

                                                                                                               Matthew 25:22-23 

Although this servant did not receive the same amount as the first, that did not alter the amount of faithfulness demonstrated in his life. He too was faithful with the amount entrusted to him and therefore receive the same threefold greeting from the master: hearing “well done”, receiving more, and entering into the joy of the master. But the last servant did not receive the same response from the master: 

And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

                                                                                                            Matthew 25:24-25 

But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.  Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ 

                                                                                                               Matthew 25:26-28 

This servant was given the least but that was not the issue. The problem was that he did nothing with what he had been given. If we are to analyze why he failed the faithfulness test, I believe that we can condense the answer to that question into just one word: fear. Fear is the opposite of faith and it is what keeps us from being bold for Christ. Fear strangles and snuffs out the glory that God desires for us to see in our lives. Fear robs and convinces us to believe lies. Fear is a destructive force and has no place in the life of a born again believer in Jesus Christ (1 John 4:18). So because this servant was afraid, he lost everything.

With what have you been entrusted? As parents, we have been entrusted with children. With business success, we have been entrusted with capital. And as believers, we have been entrusted with spiritual gifts. It is not the amount in which we have been entrusted rather the question is simply, “How faithful are we being with that with which we have been given?” Let’s be a people who live this life for the sole purpose of hearing our Savior say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”